Ring of Fire
by zeitgeistx
Summary: They only had one mission: to save the world. Pacific Rim AU. Shiznat.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

Captain James Beckett was getting antsy.

It has been more than two weeks since they boarded _The Argonaut_, and for almost the entire time they have been exploring the deep ocean, surfacing only twice to get some fresh air. The lack of sunlight was driving him up the wall, even though he knew what was really giving him the creeps.

"Don't look so glum, Captain," Johann Keller remarked cheerfully as he propped his feet up on the control panel. "I've got the feeling that we'll hit pay dirt soon."

Beckett glanced distastefully at the younger man who had hired his services to pilot the submarine, but kept silent. He didn't know what he was thinking, really, to sign up for this mission. Hunting for dead Orphans, of all things?

Many years have passed since the first Orphan appeared, but Beckett remembered it like it was yesterday. The creature, or _monster_, as he preferred to call it, was the most terrible thing he had ever seen. He had watched the news in horror as it showed the Orphan running amok in the city, tearing through whatever that lay in its path. Skyscrapers collapsed and buildings crumbled like toy bricks in its wake.

By the time the military managed to subdue the Orphan, a large part of San Francisco had been destroyed.

And when the world was still reeling from shock, the second Orphan appeared near Sydney.

From then onwards it was a spiral into hell. More Orphans appeared in various locations, and the human race was helpless. While it became clear that they were emerging from between the fissures in the oceans, along the seismic belt known commonly as the Pacific Rim, no one had any idea how to stop them. That was, until someone finally devised a plan to combat the Orphans – a plan to create monsters of our own.

As they say, go big, or go extinct.

The Child Programme was pioneered by the Japanese, who created the first giant war machine which had enough strength and firepower to rival the Orphans. After a few setbacks, the Childs started to win. And win in a big way, they did.

It's been a long time since the Orphans were last seen, but forever is not enough for Beckett. Just one unlucky encounter in the Navy had caused him to lose an eye and almost two of his limbs. He had no interest in being near one again, whether dead or alive, but work was scarce and he needed to eat.

"You see these scars? My missing eye and the way I limp?" Beckett gestured at himself. "You don't know what you are looking for, Mr Keller," he said quietly.

"Oh, trust me, Captain, I do. I'm looking for a great fortune."

Beckett shook his head and went back to observing the data on the control panel. There was nothing more he could say, as he knew it wouldn't change anything.

The irony was that while people would flee from the sight of an Orphan, they would also flock to a dead one. Tonnes of metals and minerals could be salvaged from just one Orphan carcass, and in a broken world with dwindling resources, this meant that whoever could get their hands on it could get rich overnight. The governments soon stepped in on the pretext of preventing individuals from profiteering, although everyone knew they really wanted the prize for themselves. Needless to say, the business of trading Orphan parts continued to thrive in the black market, and Johann Keller was one of these black market traders eager to earn a big buck.

"Captain," a young man seated in front of one of the computers turned to look at Beckett. "We're approaching the trench. 5,600 feet away. Do we proceed?"

Beckett's grip tightened over the edge of the control panel. He was now in the last place on earth he wanted to be. He barked an order to proceed, before punching a button on the panel. "Conning tower, any visual?"

"Control, negative."

The Captain felt his hopes rise a little. Perhaps he could convince Keller that this was a pointless trip after all. His happiness was short lived, however, as the same voice soon crackled over the intercom. "Control, target spotted. Approximately 1,000 feet away."

Beckett's heart was racing as he watched the enormous mass emerge on the screen. Given its incredible size, they should have spotted the monster miles away if not for the murky water. He glanced to his right to see that Keller had already rolled his chair up against the control panel, and was staring at the screen hungrily. There was no way the man would cancel the mission now.

Furrowing his brows tightly, Beckett went back to searching the darkness with his remaining good eye. A less experienced captain might have mistaken the Orphan for a hill in the sea, but he knew better. And even though there seemed to be no movement out there…

Beckett turned to another young man seated a few rows down. "Helinski, how do the signs read?"

"All clear, Captain. Radioactivity level is normal."

Beckett breathed a sigh of relief. Orphans emit vast amounts of radioactivity when they are alive, such that it was the primary way in which they were tracked. He took hold of the intercom microphone. "All compartments, target ascertained. Divers get ready. B1 and 2 gates open in 5."

"Yes sir," a chorus of voices answered.

A few minutes later, a dozen men in diving suits exited the submarine and made their way towards the Orphan. The carcass was simply beyond what the submarine could carry, and therefore the only way was to cut it in more manageable pieces before hauling them aboard.

Beckett watched the screen grimly. It won't be anytime soon before they manage to saw through the carcass. They would be lucky if they are able to surface by tomorrow morning. He decided that he should just have some tea to pass the time, and maybe it'll also stop his hands from trembling.

Keller's gaze was still glued to the screen, so Beckett ignored him and made his own drink. While stirring his tea, however, a thought struck him.

"Hang on…" he mumbled under his breath. The radioactivity level falls when the Orphan is dead, but it would take decades for it to dissipate altogether.

He spun around, nearly tripping over the chair as he lunged at the intercom. "This is Captain Beckett! All divers, stop work at once and return to the sub! I repeat, stop work at once and—"

"What the hell are you doing?" Keller had seized the microphone from him. "Ignore the orders! Carry on working!"

"You don—'t understand!" Beckett yelled as he tried to wrestle back control of the intercom, "that thing is not—"

But Captain Beckett never finished his words.

The last thing he heard were frantic screams over the intercom, and the last thing he saw was darkness.

* * *

A/N: Hello there. It's been some time since I last posted anything, so it feels kinda weird typing author's notes now...

Anyway, this story is inspired by Pacific Rim. I was watching it in the cinema one fine day when I started thinking about how it would work with the Mai Hime universe, which not only proved what a diehard fan I am but was also a miracle because I've been bugged by writer's block _forever_.

I won't say that this is a crossover as I intend to take loads of liberties with the movie. I'll be providing some background for the folks who have not watched it, though I would encourage you to take a look at the Jaegers and Kaijus. They're awesome.

If the feedback is good, the next chapter will be up real soon :) Ciao!


	2. Chapter 1

A/N: The massiveness of the headache I had when writing this chapter was as massive as a Jaeger i.e. very massive. As you can tell, most of my brain cells seem to be malfunctioning now. In fact, I'm not sure I have any brain cells at all.

Before I go into stupid mode - many thanks to the reviewers! And on to the story!

* * *

**Chapter 1**

The ground trembled as the giant metal frame slammed into the earth, sliding several hundred meters before it crashed into the side of the mountain and came to a stop.

_For crying out loud, this is a really troublesome one! What category is it again?_

Just as the Child barely got to its feet, the Orphan charged forward and rammed its T-shaped horn against the former, pinning it against the rocks. The pilots in the conn-pod lurched with the impact.

_Cat IV. Didn't you say it looked easy peasy? _

The war machine struggled against the Orphan's grip, and raised its right arm to push the Orphan away.

_Who would have thought that this big oaf could move so fast? !_

_Well, now you know looks can deceive._

For a split second the Orphan seemed to release its grasp on the Child, but it immediately lunged forward again, its oversized body lending strength in crushing the comparatively smaller war machine. The Child was once more locked in position, while the impact from the repeated collisions caused massive boulders to fall from the top of the mountain into the gorge.

_Stop snickering and help me get this thing off! At this rate we'll either be flattened by this monster _or_ the rocks!_

_Roger that. _

Suddenly, the Child's left arm twisted around and broke from the Orphan's hold. Its fist then retracted, revealing a cannon its place.

_Hot shot, coming right up. _

The blast of energy from the cannon sent the Orphan flying backwards into the river, and the displaced water rose so high up in the air that it resulted in a temporary downpour.

_Oh yeah. That's a hell lot better. Let's pound this ugly thing!_

_With pleasure._

As the Orphan staggered onto its two feet, the Child rushed towards the Orphan, its arms raised in a fighting stance. The left arm, which tip had morphed back into a fist, and the right arm took turns to pummel the Orphan in its chest.

_Left punch! Right punch!_

_Left hook! Right hook!_

_UPPERCUT!_

The two fists connected with the jaw of the Orphan at the same time, lifting the 1000-tonne creature from the ground. The Orphan's gigantic mass curled backwards before crashing heavily on the riverbed.

_And… our finishing move! _

Thrusting its right arm forward, the Child's forearm split open and a column emerged. A powerful beam then shot out from the front end of the column, ensnaring the Orphan in a web of electricity. The Orphan jerked violently.

Having succeeded in paralysing the Orphan, the Child bent forward, its left arm reaching behind to grasp the lower end of the pole arm strapped to its back. With one swift movement it swung the weapon, which was a cross between the naginata and the yanyuedao, forward and upward in a large arc. The Child then caught the pole arm in midair with both hands, continuing to twirl it.

_Warlord's Strike!_

Using the momentum of the swing, it drove the curved blade down into the Orphan. The creature roared as the sharp edge sank into its belly, and florescent blue blood gushed out from the wound.

For some time the Orphan's blood glowed, dimming down to a dark blue when the Orphan finally stopped twitching. The Child lifted the pole arm and rested it on its left shoulder.

_Yeah! K-O! Here, follow me and do this. _

_You gotta be kidding me. _

_Oi, don't be a spoilsport. 55 fights and 55 kills! It's a record! _

_Fine, fine…_

In the Child's conn-pod, the pilots' visions faded into black.

"Simulation complete," a voice announced in the darkness. "Orphan threat eradicated. Congratulations, Lieutenants."

"Thank you, Lelia," Shizuru Viola told the artificially intelligent computer with a smile as she removed her helmet. She blinked a few times to adjust her sight to the light. She was no longer in the conn-pod, but in a small room full of computer equipment. The machines hummed softly in the background as Shizuru turned to look at the red-haired woman standing a distance away to her right. "You okay there, Zhang?"

Nao Zhang hugged her helmet to her chest while she wiped the sweat off her face. "Obviously," she smirked.

The two pilots took their helmets and exited from the room, a cool breeze greeting them as they stepped onto the corridor.

The Hong Kong Shatterdome's training facility was a hulking steel structure that had been built with an open concept in mind. Consisting of 5 levels, which were connected mainly by zigzagging staircases, it was one of the largest and most advanced in the world. The ground level was where the physical training took place, and was spacious enough to contain a track and swimming pool. The combat and weapons training rooms, on the other hand, were situated at the second and third levels respectively. The fourth level, where Shizuru and Nao currently were, was for simulation training, while the top level was reserved for classes on strategy development and intelligence gathering.

As it was summer, the roof of the complex had been left open to let natural light in, although it could be closed quickly if there was an emergency.

Shizuru welcomed the fresh air as she stretched her sore muscles. The simulation exercise they had gone through employed the same sophisticated technology used to control actual Childs, and was just as mentally draining as the real thing.

Controllable Hyper Intelligent Defenders, or CHILDs, were humanoid machines that were driven by two pilots. In extremely simple terms, the pilots act as the brain of the Child, each taking charge of the left and right hemisphere in controlling the machine's actions. To enable the pilots to synchronise their movements with each other, a type of mind melding technology was developed.

The synchronization process, known as the Drift, allows the two pilots to connect their neural signals and merge their thoughts into one single consciousness before logging on to the Child. The responsiveness of the Child was therefore as good as the link between the pilots, which in turn depended on the mental strength each individual had.

Right outside the simulation room was a screen that provided a live telecast of the fight between the Child and the Orphan. Shizuru and Nao turned to face the screen, and there was a moment of silence as they stared at the last image of the Child captured on it.

The Child was standing in front of the Orphan carcass, flashing a victory sign with both hands.

The pilots broke out in laughter.

"_Ahem_."

On hearing the familiar voice, the two women instantly wiped the smiles off their faces and snapped to attention. "Good afternoon, ma'am."

"Good afternoon," Commander Maria Gracebert said somberly as she glided into view and eyed Shizuru and Nao in turn. "I have seen your performance earlier. Although you have defeated the Orphan, the real battle is not a game. Remember that."

"Yes ma'am!"

"Assemble at the Hangar in 15 minutes."

"Yes ma'am!"

* * *

The rest of the combat division of the Pan Pacific Defence Corps had already gathered at the Hangar by the time Shizuru and Nao arrived. They quickly took their places at the front row of the contingent, sweating lightly from having to get changed and dash to the meeting point in time.

Although the combat division totaled approximately 50 members, most of the soldiers were trained only in regular combat and not as Child pilots. Due to the physical and mental demands in maneuvering a Child, and the requirement that the two pilots must be drift compatible, only a rare few recruits are selected for the training, and even fewer of them succeed. Shizuru and Nao were the first graduates of the programme in 3 years.

The PPDC, however, was not the sole institution responsible for defending against Orphan attacks. The North Alliance Forces, which primary base was located at the Bering Sea Shatterdome, generally guarded the areas in the northern part of the world, while the PPDC took care of the south.

Every year, the two forces would take turns to send their representatives to the other's base for a joint exercise. While in theory it was to enhance the readiness and cooperation of the two bases, it was in reality an excuse to find out the other's capability and prove that they had the better army. This year it was the NAF's turn to send their representatives over, and that was the reason why the PPDC combat division had to report to the Hangar – they were to welcome their guests.

"This sucks," Nao muttered under her breath as she stared at the empty platform. The soldiers have been standing stock still for the last 20 minutes, but the NAF has not arrived. To say that she was annoyed was an understatement, as her skin was itching from the heat of the thick uniform and she really needed to scratch, but was afraid that the Commander would suddenly pop up like she did outside the simulation room.

She let out a low growl and Shizuru, who was standing beside her, grinned.

"Not used to the uniform, Zhang?" the latter whispered.

"How can anyone be used to this? Thing's starched like cardboard," Nao grumbled. They were usually decked out in jumpsuits, and the only other time she had to wear the ceremonial uniform was during her graduation. She glanced to her right. Her partner seemed perfectly at ease in her white uniform, her peaked cap sitting neatly on a crown of dark blonde hair.

"Just stay chill."

Nao gave a cynical look. "Are your pores even functioning?" she said before surreptitiously sweeping her gaze around at the other soldiers. "The others are drooling at you again."

Shizuru reflexively sneaked a peek out of the corner of her eye to see many other pairs staring blatantly back in her direction. She quickly shifted her gaze away with a frown. "No they're not."

"Oh yes they are," Nao said gleefully, deciding that she should just distract herself with something much more interesting. "And if you are bothered by them, why don't you date someone already?"

Shizuru sighed. Not that topic again. Sometimes she wondered whether it was a mistake to tell her partner about her preference for women, as from then onwards Nao seemed to take it upon herself to set her up with someone.

"What happened with Abel?"

"What do you mean what happened with Abel?"

"Didn't you ditch her on a date?"

"There wasn't a date."

"Wasn't what I heard."

The furrows between Shizuru's eyebrows deepened.

"Leaving someone a note that says that you're gonna wait at a certain spot till forever and a day does _not _equal a date."

"Touché. Why don't you date Yusumi from Weapons then? She's pretty. Or Granger from Tech? She's pretty _and _smart. Or Lopez from IG?"

"Didn't you say last week that Lopez was a bitch for stealing your sandwich?"

"Doesn't matter, she has a nice ass."

Shizuru looked up at the ceiling in exasperation. "Aren't you supposed to be straight or something?"

"Doesn't mean that I'm blind."

"For the last time, Zhang—"

A loud crash interrupted her words and both soldiers spun around simultaneously. They had been so engrossed in their conversation that they had missed the low droning sound of the helicopters that were hovering outside the Hangar.

Moments earlier, the helicopters had air dropped a Child with the red and black insignia of the NAF into the bay in front of the shatterdome. The war machine marched towards the shatterdome, covering the distance easily with merely a few steps. It was only when it reached the middle of the Hangar that the deafening sound of its footsteps ceased, and the sunlight glinting off its shiny black surface was such that many of those who were watching had to partially shield their eyes.

A rumbling sound filled the air as one of the bridges lining the length of the Hangar extended towards the conn-pod of the Child.

"They just _have_ to make a grand entrance," Nao mumbled.

"ATTEN—TION!"

The loud thump echoed around the Hangar as the soldiers stood to attention, facing the bridge. Maria Gracebert emerged from the far end of the bridge, her strides brisk and purposeful as she made her way to its center.

"Soldiers," the Commander's voice projected clearly even though she was not using a microphone, "as you are well aware, it's time for our annual joint exercise. This year, we are delighted to have with us the top graduates of the NAF, Lieutenants Haruka Armitage and Natsuki Kruger".

Shizuru's interest was immediately piqued at hearing the two names. It was common knowledge that Armitage industries was one of the two leading weapons manufacturer in the world, and was the exclusive manufacturer of Childs for Russia, North America, and parts of Europe. Haruka Armitage, Shizuru guessed, was probably a member of the powerful family running the business.

As for Natsuki Kruger, it was again well known that her mother was the renowned Child pilot Saeko Kruger, who had perished during her mission at Alaska 10 years ago. Word was that her daughter was equally talented, having graduated from the NAF a year ahead of her peers.

The dome shaped conn-pod split open with a hissing sound, revealing its pilots who were wearing the NAF black ceremonial uniform. As the pilots climbed out of the conn-pod onto the bridge, Shizuru took note of the stark contrast between the two. One woman had light blonde hair that went past the shoulders and an olive complexion, and was walking confidently across the bridge with her chest puffed up. The other woman had longer jet-black hair and a pale complexion that highlighted her dark features. She followed her partner to the center of the bridge, striding along in an almost brooding manner.

It seemed that Shizuru was not the only one who recognized the names, as there was a faint buzz amongst the crowd. Although she wasn't sure whether the commotion was actually a result of ogling at the newcomers, who were undoubtedly attractive.

Nao gave a low whistle, and Shizuru raised an eyebrow in amusement.

"Lieutenants Viola and Zhang."

Shizuru and Nao stepped forward smartly from their ranks.

"Show our guests around."

"Yes ma'am!"

* * *

After brief introductions were made, Nao and Shizuru led the NAF representatives out of the Hangar and into an adjoining building. There were a number of turns before they reached the end of the corridor, where a grey metal door was located.

Nao raised her hand to the panel, and the ray of green light that emitted from the panel scanned her palm. "Lieutenant Nao Zhang, confirmed," the system announced as the doors slid open.

"Welcome to the Brain Room," Nao said cheerily as she led the way into the research facility, which was bustling with activity. They weaved between the moving crowd, who were variously dressed in laboratory coats and jumpsuits, and who either smiled or waved when they saw Nao and Shizuru.

The group finally reached the center of the large space. "So what do you think?" Nao asked as she stuck her hands to her hips.

"Looks a lot smaller than our facility," Haruka replied while she continued to observe the place, and Shizuru had to hide her grin when she saw Nao roll her eyes.

The research facility was also where the Childs were docked for maintenance and repairs, and the group decided to head to that area first.

From the peak number of 15 Childs a decade ago, there were only 3 Childs left in the Hong Kong Shatterdome. It's been 7 years since the last Orphan attack in Chile, and the governments were increasingly of the view that the Childs were more valuable as scrap metal than defending half of the world. Accordingly, more and more Childs were recalled, and the cuts in funding also caused the size of the PPDC to shrink for consecutive years.

Whilst the Childs have not been deployed for a long time, they still needed constant maintenance to keep their systems running properly. At the PPDC's repair zone, each of the Childs was docked in a separate bay, with a multileveled platform on its side. The platforms came with retractable bridges, which allowed technicians to access any part of the Child that required fixing. As Nao and company approached from a distance, the technicians working on the towering Childs appeared like ants.

Nao gestured at the light blue coloured Child on the leftmost bay, which had a cubical conn-pod at the top and a pair of folded wings on its back. "This, ladies, is the Blue Sky Warrior." She then turned towards the moss green coloured Child next to it, which conn-pod was situated in its body instead and had a blade attached to each of its arms. "And this is the Ninja Hunter." The last Child was entirely shrouded with a grey canvas sheet, and Nao made no mention of it.

The group walked forward for a closer look, and Haruka frowned as she inspected the Childs. "Is this a Mark-3? The NAF is only using Mark-4s and 5s now."

Shizuru saw Nao's eyebrow twitch.

"It's not exactly the Mark-3, actually, more like an upgrade," Shizuru said evenly. "The Mark-3 runs on nuclear power while the Mark-4 and 5 are fully digital. Even though our Childs are still running on nuclear energy, we've rejigged them so that there is a digital backup power in case the system fails."

Haruka nodded, although she looked rather skeptical. Natsuki stood wordlessly to the side, seeming to pay no attention to the conversation as she regarded the Childs.

"Hello there, Viola and Zhang."

The group turned to see a young man and woman standing behind them. The young man smiled as he appraised Haruka and Natsuki. "Are these the representatives from the NAF?"

"Yes," Shizuru answered. "This is Lieutenant Haruka Armitage and Lieutenant Natsuki Kruger."

"Pleased to meet you guys, I'm Takumi Tokiha and this is my co-pilot, Akira Okuzaki." Takumi said warmly while the woman with him, Akira, merely nodded politely.

Natsuki nodded silently in return. Haruka was more excited, however. "You're the brother of Mai Tokiha!" she exclaimed.

Both Nao and Shizuru froze on hearing Haruka's words. Takumi Tokiha and Akira Okuzaki were one of the three pairs of pilots in the Hong Kong Shatterdome. Since he was admitted to the PPDC, Takumi have been frequently compared to his sister, Mai Tohika, who was one of the most famous pilots of her time. Unfortunately, she went missing during a mission in Tokyo, and was never found. Everyone knew how close the siblings were, so it was an unspoken rule not to mention her name in front of him. Especially because upsetting him meant upsetting Akira as well, and Akira was not someone to mess with when it came to Takumi.

"Yes," Takumi replied quietly.

"I heard that—"

"Takumi, have you seen the Sayers?" Shizuru quickly enquired, interrupting Haruka's sentence.

The man seemed relieved to change the topic, and a sunny smile reappeared on his face. "The Sayers are out shopping, I think," he said. He was the only one at the base whom everyone addressed by his first name, and while no one knew when this started, it was probably due to his boyish looks and to differentiate him from his sister.

Nao snorted. "No surprise there, those two are always hanging around Causeway Bay." The other pair of pilots in the Hong Kong Shatterdome, Lena and Arika Sayers, were a mother-and-daughter pair. The younger girl was barely in her teens, but her drift compatibility with her mother was such an unusual match that an exception was made for her to be admitted to the Child programme.

Takumi's smile grew wider. "I agree, Zhang." He turned to address the rest of the group. "Akira and I have to get going now. Catch you all later!"

"See you!" Nao said, and Shizuru gave a wave.

When Takumi and Akira were gone, the group moved on to their next destination, which was a laboratory on the other side of the facility.

Nao knocked on the transparent glass wall. The occupants of the laboratory, a bespectacled woman with short black hair and another woman with chestnut coloured hair looked up from their desks. Upon seeing Nao and Shizuru, they waved excitedly and came out of the door.

"Hey there, Lieutenants!" greeted the shorthaired woman.

"Hey there, doctors," Nao answered with a grin, before referring to the two women standing behind her. "These are the representatives from the NAF. Lieutenant Haruka Armitage and Lieutenant Natsuki Kruger."

Haruka and Natsuki nodded.

"This is Dr Chie Harada and Dr Aoi Senou. They are part of the research team in PPDC."

"Welcome to the Hong Kong Shatterdome!" Chie said. "Oh, oh, you came at just the right time, I've almost completed my newest invention." Without waiting for the group's response, she swiftly ran back into the laboratory and returned with a device that looked like a wristwatch.

"I call this: THE ORPHAN DECIPHER," the scientist proclaimed proudly, while Aoi beside her wore a look of mild panic.

Nao peered closely at the device. "What does it do?"

"It's analyses the sounds that the Orphans make, and translates them into our language."

"You mean those roaring sounds that they make regardless of whether they're eating us for breakfast, taking a stroll in the park, or dying?" Nao asked dryly.

"Exactly! And it has many language settings, English, Chinese, Japanese, Bahasa Indonesia—"

"Why on earth would anyone want to know what those vile creatures have to say?" Haruka interjected in bewilderment.

Chie's eyes widened. "Haven't you wondered why they appeared? Why they decided to attack us? We can find out if we are able to communicate with them."

"Provided they don't exterminate us first." It was the first time Natsuki spoke during the entire afternoon, and it caught the rest by surprise that there was a momentary pause. Shizuru found it rather apt that such a moody-looking individual would have such a deep voice.

Nao swung her arm around Chie's shoulder. "Look, I know you're an Orphan groupie and all, but I suspect you won't get so close to the Orphans to _talk _to them before they stomp you into the ground."

Chie looked scandalized. "I'm not an Orphan groupie!"

"I think it's a useful device," Shizuru piped up, causing the others to shift their attention to her. "孫子曰：知彼知己，百戰不殆；不知彼而知己，一勝一負；不知彼，不知己，每戰必殆."

"What did she say?" Haruka looked perplexedly at Natsuki, who was frowning as she stared at Shizuru.

"You only need to know that Viola here is a Chinese language expert. Aren't you, you big show off?" Nao smirked.

"Not as good as you though," Shizuru demurred slyly.

Haruka looked even more confused. "What Soon Zee? What?"

Chie, nevertheless, seemed to have skipped over the earlier interaction, as she started digging for something else in her pocket. "Before you guys go, let me show you my other invention. I call it the—"

Aoi hurriedly grabbed Chie's arm. "Chie, the Commander is looking for us."

"Is she? I thought—"

"_Yes she is,_" Aoi said. "Excuse us." She gave a sheepish smile before dragging her fellow scientist in the other direction.

"Your scientists are weird," Haruka remarked as she shook her head slowly.

Shizuru cleared her throat to prevent Nao from shooting a retort. "Next stop is our training facility. Straight ahead, Lieutenants."

As the two NAF representatives continued on their way, Nao tugged on Shizuru's sleeve. Shizuru immediately paused in her steps. "Please go ahead! We'll catch up with you!" she called to Haruka and Natsuki before turning to her partner with a quizzical look. "What's up?"

"Those two are pissing me off!" Nao said in a hushed tone. "One of them is an egoistic idiot, while the other looks like she's made of stone."

Shizuru chuckled. "Take it easy, okay? Let's just finish up the tour, show them to their rooms, and we're done."

Nao huffed. "Alright. But who's gonna take who?"

Without another word, the two threw out their hands at the same time.

"I win. I pick Ms Grouchy over Ms Noisy."

Nao slapped her forehead in exasperation.

* * *

Once they completed the tour around the main facilities in the base, the guides brought the NAF representatives to the dormitories.

"Your room is over here," Nao said gruffly as she grudgingly led Haruka further down the corridor.

Shizuru held back a chuckle as she watched Nao walk so quickly that Haruka had to scramble to keep with her. The NAF representatives had continued behaving in the same manner for the rest of the afternoon, and that naturally made the woman more irritated.

She turned back to the small piece of paper she had been given by the administration and checked the room number again. It seemed like Ms Grouchy was going to stay right across the corridor from her room.

"Let's go this way," Shizuru flashed a smile, but Natsuki merely followed behind her with a stoic expression. Shizuru wondered whether the woman was always so unhappy. She seemed even gloomier than the Commander, which was saying something. Somehow, though, she found this intriguing.

The two passed a few rooms in silence, and at last stopped outside a heavy metal door.

"Here's your room Kruger, your stuff is already inside. Give me a shout if you need anything, my place is just opposite yours."

Natsuki nodded sullenly, and pushed the door open to retreat into her room.

Before she could close the door, however, Shizuru jammed her foot in the doorway and popped her head through the gap. "Well, enjoy your evening then," she said with another smile, "I look forward to our joint exercise tomorrow. It'll be fun."

Natsuki, who had her back facing Shizuru, tilted her head around and looked at Shizuru steadily in the eye. "I'm not here for fun and games. I'm here to _win_."

She then closed the door behind her with a heavy clang.

* * *

A/N: Hope you guys have a super duper week ahead :)


	3. Chapter 2

A/N: Maybe doing lots of yoga helps the creativity process, because I managed to bash this chapter out after some intense workouts. But where oh where has my weekend gone...?

Thank you reviewers! And special thanks to Icemera, who pretty much held me hostage for this chapter... (Icemera, time to fulfill your promise :D)

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**Chapter 2**

Natsuki huffed as she threw her duffel bag on the bench.

She didn't like this place. She didn't like it at all.

She didn't like the hot weather, and how the air was so humid that her skin was constantly covered with a layer of sticky sweat.

She didn't like the way the people stared at her, watching her every move.

Most importantly, she didn't like this Shizuru Viola, who was really grating on her nerves.

She had slammed the door on her the previous day, and was expecting the woman to either get angry or back off. Who knew that Shizuru would become even more daring today, and bother her at every opportunity she had?

How utterly, infuriatingly bizarre.

Natsuki had heard about Shizuru and Nao while back in the NAF, the duo being some sort of a talking point because they were the first graduates of the PPDC programme in 3 years. Her curiosity piqued, she had managed to get her hands on their files, and what amazed her further was their family background. Neither had any family members who were involved in the military or the Child programme, nor were they related in any way, but yet they had the highest simulation kill rates of all time. Natsuki and Haruka, on the other hand, were trained together from young so as to ensure their drift compatibility.

Wanting to find out more about her opponents, she and Haruka had sneaked into the Hong Kong Shatterdome a couple of hours before their official arrival in their Child, and had done an impromptu tour of the facilities themselves. They had wandered to the training facility and caught Nao and Shizuru's simulation match on the screen. She had to admit, she was rather impressed at how the Child managed to take down a Category 4 Orphan so quickly. Nonetheless, _a victory sign?_ She was irritated at how frivolous they seemed to be. Natsuki, for one, took the Orphan threat very seriously, and their behavior just erased whatever admiration she had for them.

"Mind if we sit here?" the annoying voice sounded _again_.

"Ye—"

"Go ahead." Somehow, Haruka had replied quicker even though her mouth was full. Natsuki jabbed her partner in the ribs, and Haruka looked at her perplexedly. "What?" she asked, still chewing vigorously on her food.

Natsuki could only roll her eyes in exasperation. So much for being drift compatible – her partner obviously couldn't read her thoughts.

"Our food is not to your taste, Kruger?" Shizuru said amiably as she laid her tray on the table, and slid smoothly onto the bench opposite Natsuki and her half eaten lunch. Nao took the seat beside Shizuru, wearing a lopsided grin that made Natsuki even more uneasy.

"No, but I just lost my appetite," Natsuki replied coolly, staring boldly at the woman whose eyes were of such an unusual colour. She could fully understand why the rumors at NAF were that Shizuru Viola had an intense, hypnotizing gaze, and it made her stomach clench in a strange way.

It was obvious what Natsuki meant, but the corners of Shizuru's mouth quirked. "I see. Perhaps it's because you overexerted yourself during the exercise earlier?"

Natsuki immediately felt the blood rushing to her face as Nao sniggered. Perhaps there's one more thing she should add to the list of things she disliked about Shizuru – the woman seemed to have an uncanny ability to embarrass her.

And it had all started right in the morning.

It being the first day of the joint exercise, Natsuki, Haruka, Shizuru and Nao were scheduled to commence the day with some physical training. The impression that Natsuki got was that it was just supposed to be an informal warm up, but in the end the entire PPDC had turned out to watch.

In fact, it was like a full-blown carnival.

For a moment after she stepped onto the track at the ground level of the training facility, Natsuki was rendered speechless. The crowd gathered on the spectator stands around the track was in buoyant spirits as they carried large placards with Shizuru and Nao's names and the PPDC insignia. Other than the chanting of cheers in the background, there were also screams and shrieks from some overly excited girls. Natsuki knew that she and Haruka also had a "fan club" back at the Bering Sea Shatterdome, but they weren't so, so…

_Crazy_.

"What in the world…" She heard Haruka mutter under her breath as the latter swept her gaze around the track. Clearly she wasn't the only one who thought this was way over the top.

"Hey Lieutenants!"

Natsuki and Haruka spun around at once. It was one of the weird scientists they had met the day before, Dr Harada or something.

"It's quite crazy, huh?" The bespectacled woman gestured at the spectator stands. She was dressed in shirt and jeans, her white lab coat conspicuously absent.

"Yes it is," Haruka said with a frown. Natsuki kept silent.

"It's a pity our fans aren't here. I'm sure they'll be even louder," Haruka continued confidently as she stuck her hands at her hips.

"Oh, no worries at all," Chie chuckled, "It seems that you've won some fans already." She pointed to one part of the stand, where a young man was leading a relatively small but sizeable group of people in reciting some cheers. There was a gigantic banner above them with Haruka and Natsuki's names scrawled on it, and Natsuki wondered how she even missed it in the first place.

"Brilliant!" Haruka exclaimed, seeming to be genuinely pleased. Natsuki thought that she was going to get a headache. She never understood why anyone would idolize another person, and the idea seemed even more incredulous to her now given that she had only been in the Hong Kong Shatterdome for less than 24 hours.

"I'm gonna get up to the stands before the good spots get taken up. Good luck for the events!"

Both Haruka and Natsuki nodded as Chie gave a cheery wave and ran off. Actually, Natsuki had no idea what the "events" were, or even what was on their itinerary for the next two weeks. The competition format changed every year, and it was the first time that Natsuki and Haruka were participating. They were only informed that it would require considerable physical activity, and that they should be dressed in sports attire. For the NAF soldiers, that meant body-hugging black tank tops and shorts. Both Haruka and Natsuki had also tied their hair up in ponytails.

"Ladies and gentlemen," a woman's voice boomed and echoed around the training facility, causing Natsuki to look up at an open-air balcony perched above the main block of the spectator stands. The commentator was presumably the woman seated in front of a microphone. She also recognized Commander Maria Graceburt as the imposing figure who was standing beside the table with her usual impassive expression.

"This is your beloved Captain Midori Suigura speaking. Welcome to the Annual PPDC-NAF Joint Exercise!"

A loud cheer erupted from the crowd.

"You probably already know, but let me introduce again the competitors for this year."

"From the frozen lands of the North, we have…"

"The strong and powerful, Lieutenant Haruka Armitage!"

Haruka looked rather surprised at the introduction, but she gamely wave her hands at the cheering crowd. Natsuki tensed up immediately. This is bad. This is very, very bad.

"Also from land of perpetually frozen asses, we have another very talented and_ attractive_ young lady," Midori paused, before dropping to a baritone voice, "The brooding and mysterious… Lieutenant Natsuki Kruger!"

Natsuki cringed as the cheers rang even louder. She decided that she would choke the life out of Midori Suigura if she ever ran into her.

When the noise finally died down, Midori grabbed the microphone once more. "But let's not forget our very own PPDC competitors!"

"The smart, the sassy, the sexy… Lieutenant NAO ZHANG!"

"The charming, the beautiful, the oh-so-perfect… Lieutenant SHIZURU VIOLAAA!"

The roar from the crowd was deafening as the doors of the gate under the spectators stand swung open.

The two representatives from PPDC strode out from the gate, clad in white sleeveless jerseys and blue shorts. Nao waved enthusiastically at the crowd, bouncing a bit on her feet, while Shizuru looked on amusedly.

Natsuki held her breath as she recalled her less than polite attitude to the other woman. She was, however, stunned when Shizuru cracked a dazzling smile at her direction. What?

"Good morning, Kruger," Natsuki heard Shizuru murmur as she brushed past her.

"Ladiessss and gentlemen! Who will push herself to the limit, who will defeat all odds, who will prove herself worthy, who will—"

"Keep it short, Captain," snapped Commander Graceburt, whose low voice could still be heard over the speakers.

"Oops, sorry Commander," Midori muttered sheepishly before her voice amplified once more, "WHO will be the WINNER?"

"LET THE GAMES… BEGIN!"

The crowd was whipped up in such frenzy that Natsuki struggled to listen to what Midori was saying. Haruka turned to Nao, who was still soaking up the attention. "So what are we doing this morning?"

Nao shrugged. "I have no idea."

There was no need for Haruka to ask further, though, as a loud rumbling sound emitted from beneath the ground. The earth shook as the large field in the middle of the track divided open and retracted, revealing a large cavern in its place. As the rumbling continued to accelerate, a platform of the same size as the field emerged steadily from the depths of the cavern onto the surface, until it became level with the rest of the track.

"Ara."

Natsuki glanced briefly at the woman standing a distance away from her, who was surveying the scene with interest. The field had been replaced by what appeared to be an obstacle course. A mixture of metal and wooden structures were scattered around the field, along with ropes, walls and a suspicious looking pool at the far end.

"Man," Nao sighed, "I didn't think I'll ever have to do this again."

Shizuru chuckled. "Neither did I."

Seeing the quizzical looks that were being shot at them by Natsuki and Haruka, Nao explained, "Our first year was spent trying to survive the obstacle course. Although it is probably an understatement to say that it was an obstacle course, because you see those spikes there? And the lever there? The entire setup is filled with traps."

"And be careful of the traps, because they can kill."

Haruka gaped. "Are you serious?"

"Yep," Nao answered somberly, "some recruits have died in the past."

"ALRIGHT!" Haruka yelled as she pumped her fists. There was a gleam in her eyes that Natsuki instantly recognized. She had no doubt that Haruka was going to charge right in later and bulldoze everything in her path.

Nao turned to Natsuki. "Your friend seems pretty psyched up about this," she grinned.

Narrowing her eyes, Natsuki retorted, "Isn't this unfair? Since you have already done this obstacle course before?" While the NAF had also trained with obstacle courses, none of them were actually _deadly_.

"That's not completely correct, Lieutenant," Shizuru spoke, "we have done obstacle courses before, but not this one."

Nao continued, "Which, we should mention, seems even more wicked than the ones we've ever done."

Natsuki clenched her fists.

"Hi," another voice interrupted the conversation. The competitors directed their attention to the brown-haired woman who had stepped in front of them. Aoi, the less weird half of the scientist duo, smiled shyly. "I'm the coordinator of this event, and I will be briefing you on the rules."

Like Chie, Aoi had ditched her lab coat for casual wear, which in her case was a light pink summer dress. She flipped a page on the clipboard she was holding before gesturing at the field behind her. "As you can tell this is an obstacle course. All of you will start at the same time from the first station, and the first person that clears the last station, wins."

"The joint exercise this year will be based on a scoring system. For this event, the winner gets 4 points, the runner up gets 3 points, the second runner up gets 2 points, and the last person gets 1 point."

"You must follow the designated route of the obstacle course and not skip any station. If you flout the rule, you'll be immediately disqualified."

"If you fail to complete the course, you will also be considered as disqualified."

"Do you have any questions?"

Nao put up her hand.

"Yes, Zhang?"

"Is that a flamethrower I see there?"

Aoi broke into a demure smile. "That's for you to find out."

Nao shook her head slowly. "Knowing that you probably designed this course – we're dead."

There was a mischievous glint in Aoi's eyes as she turned slightly. "I'm sure you'll do fine, Lieutenants. If there are no further questions, let's get to the starting line."

A thousand thoughts were rushing through Natsuki's mind as the group made their way towards the first station. Based on what she could see from the structures, she could identify what were possibly traps, and her brain was busy working out what she needed to do to get pass them. Her intuition told her, however, that there were probably more traps that were hidden.

Natsuki's already gloomy mood got even darker.

"Cheer up," Shizuru, who had sidled up to her without her noticing, said lightly, "You're not going to die."

Natsuki tilted her chin up haughtily. "I'm not worried about dying." It was not the most ideal situation, but she wasn't the top graduate of the NAF for nothing.

"Of course you're not, you're _here to win_."

The jibe didn't escape Natsuki, but before she could react, Shizuru had skipped off to join Nao at the front of the group.

By the time Natsuki reached the opposite end of the field, facing the main block of the spectator stands, she was sweating lightly from the heat of sun hanging in the sky. Her pulse quickened and her muscles tensed as she got into position together with the other competitors. She sneaked a peek to the far left, where Shizuru was eyeing the field placidly, her long hair tied up to expose her slender neck.

Based on her research, Shizuru should be her toughest competitor.

But there was no way on this freaking planet she was going to let her win.

"Armitage," Natsuki whispered as she tilted her head slightly to her right, "The point is not how fast you go through the first few obstacles, but whether you manage to get through to the last one. Don't go rushing in."

Haruka was smiling as she stared straight ahead. "No worries, partner, I've got it all covered."

Natsuki sighed softly. She knew that more likely than not, Haruka was going to throw all caution to the wind once the race starts.

The starting signal was projected on a giant billboard hanging above the balcony where Midori was seated. The commentator continued to rouse the crowd with her speech, but Natsuki was not listening.

As she stared at the signal, her heart was pumping faster and faster, while the racket around her faded into the background.

Red…

Amber…

Green!

The sound of the horn pierced through the air as the balls of Natsuki's feet pushed against the ground and she took off towards the first station.

Just as Natsuki predicted, Haruka had ignored her advice and was recklessly leading the charge, with Shizuru and Nao following closely behind. Natsuki decided to play it safe, deliberately keeping to a slower pace to see how her competitors would get through the obstacles.

When Haruka successfully climbed up the steep wooden structure and vaulted over two walls without any danger appearing, however, Natsuki had to reevaluate her strategy. Otherwise, she was going to be left behind.

Gritting her teeth, Natsuki sped up, and pounced on one of the thick ropes dangling from the wooden beam that was high above the ground. She heaved herself up the rope quickly, her arms and legs moving in tandem as she overtook Nao, who was climbing the rope next to her.

Natsuki's arms were aching as she pulled herself up onto the wooden beam, which was connected by four wooden beams on its sides to a platform. Haruka and Shizuru were already running across the narrow wooden beams, and Natsuki was about to do the same when she heard a sharp snap.

She watched in astonishment as one of the wooden beams broke in the middle and swung downwards. Haruka, who was running on that beam, went down with a yelp, but somehow she was able to cling on to it instead of falling two stories below. The two parts of the wooden beam paused in this position for about a second before jerking upwards to their original position. Haruka appeared to be a bit shaken, as she lay motionless for a brief moment before picking herself up again.

Natsuki barely released her breath when she heard another snap, and her gaze immediately flew to the other woman who was tackling the beam. Rather than hanging on to dear life to the beam like Haruka, Shizuru simply jumped to the beam right next to it and continued running. Natsuki couldn't help but be amazed as Shizuru kept leaping from one beam to the next to avoid the free fall. Before she knew it, Shizuru had reached the platform on the other end.

The NAF representative finally shook herself out of her daze and, gathering her courage, sprang onto the wooden beam. Natsuki noted with irritation that Nao had caught up with her and was running on another wooden beam as well. Then came the dreaded snap, and she quickly flattened herself against the beam while it plunged downwards.

Once the beam shot back to the horizontal level, Natsuki pushed herself up and continued her sprint. It took her another try before she could jump from one beam to the next like Shizuru, and she thought her heart was going to burst.

After what felt like ages, Natsuki completed the obstacle. Nao had already slid down the rope to the ground, and Haruka was halfway through her descent. Natsuki clutched the rope and lowered herself swiftly, not caring that the coarse rope was burning her palms.

A short sprint, and she came to the next obstacle. From then onwards the traps were aplenty; while there were some obstacles that proved to be harmless, there were others that had heavy mallets that swung from the sky, steps that fell open into thin air, and even the flamethrower that Nao was referring to. Natsuki dodged, ducked, and scrambled out of the way, getting the ends of her hair singed by fire in the process.

Haruka, who had kept ahead with her sheer physical strength, busted a few traps that had threatened to knock her head off. She was nevertheless caught by surprise by quicksand, and was waist deep in the muck when Natsuki arrived.

"Stop struggling, you'll only sink deeper!" Natsuki yelled as she tried to pull Haruka from the pit.

Haruka glanced ahead, where Nao and Shizuru were, and shook off Natsuki's hand. "Don't worry about me, go!"

"But—"

"JUST GO!"

With the blonde's booming voice ringing in her ears, Natsuki dashed to the next station. Nao may not have the same level of stamina she had, but she was sure agile as hell. Many a times Natsuki had managed to get ahead of her, only to be slowed down by those annoying traps.

Luck was probably on Natsuki's side, though, as the physical strain eventually took a toll on the PPDC representative, and in her carelessness Nao stepped on a booby trap buried in the soil. The noose tightened around her ankle and pulled upwards, leaving Nao dangling upside down in midair.

Natsuki might have smirked at the colourful expletives that Nao was spewing, if not for the fact that she was busy trying to catch up with her last foe. Shizuru seemed to have little trouble with the traps planted in the obstacle course, and have managed to hold the lead throughout the race.

They were nearing the last few obstacles now, and Natsuki urged her exhausted body to push harder. She dove down to lie prone on the ground, and crawled as fast as she could under the barbed wires stretched out above.

The wires were laid out so low, however, that her shoulder accidentally touched one of them. She jerked back in pain.

Bloody thing is electrical!

Natsuki pressed herself closer to the ground and shuffled forward, not wanting to risk another unpleasant shock. Goodness knows how much current was travelling through the wires; she wouldn't want to be sent into a spasm.

Her efforts did not go to waste as Natsuki started to gain on her rival, who pulled herself up just a few seconds ahead of her. Shizuru caught sight of her emerging from the obstacle and grinned. "Go, Kruger, go!" she shouted cheekily while running a few steps backwards, before turning around and sprinting to the next obstacle.

"Ugggghh!" Natsuki growled as she forced herself off the ground and chased after the woman.

The new wave of adrenaline pumping through her veins allowed Natsuki to speed up. Upon reaching the station, she ran up an inclined beam and grabbed a rope, swinging across the pit and landing on the platform at the same time as Shizuru.

Shizuru looked impressed. "Not bad at all," she said as she leaned against a wooden pillar to catch her breath.

Natsuki was quite pleased that Shizuru was panting as hard as she was. Her own body was definitely pushing its limit, and she quickly took the opportunity to relax and recover, leaning on another wooden pillar for support.

"So, how do you find the obstacle course?" Shizuru asked, seemingly unperturbed that they were technically still in a race.

The NAF representative glanced at the next stage of the course, which consisted of a metal bridge. It looked as normal as it could be, but she knew better now. She threw a stone she had picked up along the way onto the bridge, and true enough, rows of sharp spikes shot up.

"It's _insane_."

Shizuru chortled, the bright smile lighting up her face causing Natsuki to pause momentarily. Much as Natsuki viewed the woman with some disdain, she understood why she had legions of fans, even in the NAF. Besides her extraordinary physical prowess and skills, Shizuru was a definite looker.

With the sweat glistening on her skin, Shizuru lifted the hem of her jersey to wipe her face, revealing the perfectly toned abdominals underneath.

And by that, she meant a_ real_, definite looker.

Unfortunately, the not-very-discreet ogling did not go unnoticed by Shizuru, who coughed and raised an eyebrow in amusement.

Which in turn led to the biggest mistake Natsuki had committed in her life yet.

She blushed.

Shizuru's eyes widened a fraction, and then a sly grin appeared on her face.

"Red looks good on you, Kruger." She winked.

Before Natsuki could react to the remark, Shizuru bent and leapt from the edge of the platform, grabbing the thin ledge of the bridge and moving herself laterally across.

Natsuki rushed forward. The woman had effectively evaded the trap.

"What the hell!" Natsuki cursed her slow reaction, her embarrassment temporarily forgotten. But at least she didn't have to consider how in the world to get across the bridge. She took three steps back, followed by running forward and lunging as far as she could to make up for lost time.

She caught on to the ledge, but it was so narrow that her right hand slipped, and for a split second she feared that she was going to fall to her death. Nonetheless she summoned all her willpower and was able to swing her arm back up, tightening her grip on the smooth metal.

The next few obstacles proved even tougher as the two competitors went neck to neck against each other. Shizuru also appeared to have a newfound interest in annoying Natsuki along the way, and sometimes Natsuki wondered if she was slowing down so that she could make a smart remark to her. With each comment Natsuki just became more riled up.

At last, Natsuki and Shizuru arrived at the final obstacle, a large pool. The top parts of both ends of the pool were exposed, while a thick sheet of hard plastic covered the rest. The water, if it could be called that, was thick and blackish, such that it was not possible to tell how deep the pool was.

Four goggles and mini oxygen tanks were laid out on the ground. The two women strapped on a tank each and stood at the edge of the pool, as the chanting from the spectators reached a feverish pitch.

Shizuru put the goggles over her eyes and cocked her head to the side.

"Shall we?"

Natsuki merely grunted in response, biting on the mouthpiece that was linked by a pipe to the oxygen tank.

Without a further word, they launched themselves into the pool.

The water was so dark that even with her goggles on, Natsuki could not see the bottom. What she could clearly see, however, were the numerous red rays that crisscrossed at different angles.

Natsuki swore silently. It was one thing to evade laser beams in a room. It was another to _swim _around them.

Shizuru was already moving ahead, and Natsuki had no choice but to follow suit. She cautiously maneuvered herself in the water, taking care not to trip on any of the lasers. The hard plastic covering the pool was obviously to prevent the competitors from surfacing for air, and Natsuki shuddered to think what would happen if her oxygen tank ran out before she reached the other side.

Time was ticking, and Natsuki's body strained as she contorted and twisted to get around the lasers. She turned her head around to check where Shizuru was, and was elated to discover that Shizuru was lagging behind. Natsuki was slightly shorter and smaller than the other woman, and this had translated to a big advantage under water.

Just a bit more… _C'mon_…

Natsuki pressed on, determined to keep the lead against Shizuru. In her hurry, however, the tip of her toe crossed a red line.

There was a swooshing sound.

Something hard hit her in the back before springing open. A thin steel web enveloped her, forcing her into a fetal position.

Damn it!

The web was anchored to the bottom of the pool by a metal cable, and no matter how hard she tugged and struggled, she could neither break the cable nor out of the web. At this rate she would not be able to get to the surface before her oxygen was completely depleted. Was Zhang serious about the obstacles actually killing people?

Natsuki tried her best not to panic as she stopped struggling with the steel web, given that the more she does so, the faster her oxygen would be used up. While she racked her brains for a solution, a figure passed her line of sight. It was Shizuru.

The woman swam up quickly to Natsuki and pulled at the web, but was also unable to get it to yield. She gestured at Natsuki to wait, then turned and disappeared back into the shadows.

For what seemed like forever there was no further sign of the PPDC representative. Natsuki decided that her best bet was to get rid of the anchor that was holding her down. The problem was, she was hardly able to move in her constricted state, not to say get past the other laser beams that remained. Nevertheless, she held on to the metal cable, pulling herself down into the murky depths of the pool.

If only she could get to the anchor…

But the pool seemed to be bottomless, she was getting dizzy from the lack of oxygen, and her strength was rapidly fading. Suddenly the cable went slack, though by this time Natsuki was on the verge of a blackout, and was drifting aimlessly.

In her semi-conscious state, Natsuki felt a hand grab her wrist and pull her upwards. The cold water rushed by. There was then a muffled crack, as if someone had just punched a hole in something really hard.

Another crack, and another, and another… until glaring light overwhelmed Natsuki's vision.

"Kruger?"

"Kruger? Helloooo?"

Natsuki jerked out her trance and sat up straight on the bench. "Wh—what?"

Haruka was snapping her fingers in front of her with a puzzled expression. "What's wrong with you? Day dreaming?"

Shizuru smiled as she dug her fork into the vegetables on her plate. "She's probably thinking about our time in the pool. It was rather exciting, wasn't it?"

Although Natsuki had emerged unscathed from the near drowning, the incident had gotten Shizuru and her disqualified, such that Nao, in third place, ended up being awarded with the most points. Haruka, who also completed the course, was awarded with 3 points.

Natsuki glared at Shizuru, but the woman shrugged it off as easily as brushing a stray blade of grass off her shoulder.

"I'm going back to my room," Natsuki said curtly to Haruka before rising from the bench and stomping out of the cafeteria.

The last reason why she disliked Shizuru Viola – the woman had saved her life.

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A/N: Cheerio!


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